richards



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

F. H. RICHARDS.

110mm). No. 331,652. Patented-Dec. 1, 1885.

NTTno STATns FATnNT @rrrcn.

FRANK H. RICHARDS, OF TROY, XEXV YORK.

DOMINO.

ESPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,652, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed June 13, 1885. Serial No. 168,570. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. RICHARDS, of Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dominoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the'letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to that class of game apparatus ordinarily known as dominoesfl'and has for its principal objects the production of dominoes of sheet metal or sheet materialin a manner simple, cheap, and expeditious, rendering them durable and agreeable to handle or use. The marking of the dominoes by punching or indenting the figures or notations thereon, and then covering the backs in such manner that the notations can only be read from'the face, and the figuring or notating of the dominoes in a peculiar manner or after a peculiar system, so that they may be employed for playing certain games according to established rules.

To accomplish all of this, my improvements involve certain new and useful peculiarities of construction and details of manufacture and marking, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a piece of sheet metal or other sheet material having marked thereon the outlines of one of the pieces employed for making my improved domino. Fig. 2 is a plan of the face;

Figl 3, a plan of the back; and Fig. 4, a veri nvent-ion.

tical section of the domino made from the piece-shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan of a In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

A is the sheet of metal or other material, from which the blanks for the dominoes are punched. According to the first part of my invention, the shape of the blank cut out is abontas represented in Fig. -1, the parts a a being intended to be turned back at the dotted lines. The dots and figures or notations, one or all, are punched out of the material, or

formed therein by indenting the material, as

will be readily understood. Then to cover and conceal these markings at the back of the domino, the parts a a are turned over them, leavingthc marked part or face 7) exposed on one side and'matching, as shown in Fig. 2, leaving a practically smooth back, except (in the form shown) at the center, where the extreme points of a a are slightly bent, so as to form a pivot upon which the domino may be revolved; but this pivot may be omitted. A pivot upon the face may be easily formed by indenting the central part from the back. The finished domino will thus be seen to be triangular in form-What is, it hasjhree matching edges.

I do not claim the triangular form merely, but the manner of making, as above described, is of my invention, as is also the peculiar system of marking explained below.

The principles of making and covering the back might be employed in connection with dominoes of any shape or size.

The dots upon the edges-when the number of dots on the edge of any one piece do not exceed four-are arranged, together with the blank edges, as indicated in the table, Fig. 6, wherein the cipher stands for the blank edge. Upon consideration of this table it will be seen that all the possible dissimilar combinations of the numbers 1 2 3 4 0 are involved, and that the pieces have thc'fewest possible duplicate or double numbers. This table gives thirty-five pieces, which, with the additional piece, to be hereinafter described, makes the set of thirty-six pieces.

For a set employing the dots and blanks represented by l 2 3 a 5 O, the arrangement is as indicated in the table, Fig. 7, (following the same general principles as in Fig. 6,) and this making, with the additional piece of comprehensive value, a set offifty-seven pieces. Upon each domino I employ a number or figure representing the sum total of all the dots upon the piece, as indicated in the plan of the set, Fig. 4.

The additional piece, (marked Bin the drawings,) and ornamented with a star or other distinctive marking, is intended to be played or matched with any piece, as the holder may desire. This piece I call the boss.

With the set having the markings arranged as above described a multitude of interesting games more or less difficult and involving more or less study maybe played. A few brief explanations will suffice to demonstrate the utility of the invention, and the general application of the system of marking.

In the game of points the boss may or may not be used. The player holding the highest triple leads. The next player places his domino point to point with the lead, the two sides of the second having like numbers of spots as on the two sides of the lead. The next player plays in a similar way to either, of the exposed points ofthe domino lastplayed. The player first to dispose of his hand (or, the game being blocked, the lowest hand) counts the sum total of the figures on all the dominoes held by his opponents.

In triangular muggins each player matches a domino to one of the exposed sides of the p ece last played, and if the sum of the number on the played piece and the one to which it is matched is any multiple of five that multiple is counted. The boss stands for any number against which played, and the play counted and continued accordingly.

In the star game, the first domino having been played, the second player has the choice of playing either to the point or to the side of the first. If he plays to the point having the numbers upon the two sides which form the point of his domino corresponding to the numbers upon the sides of the points of the domino already played, he plays a second time. His second play may be either to the point or to the side of any domino already played, but he cannot play more than twice. Each sncceeding player may in turn play to any domino already played, either to a point where it is exposed or to a side, and when a play is made to a point he plays a second time. When any domino is played either to the point or to the side of another, and the sum of the spots upon the two dominoes is any multiple of five, that number is added to the score of the player. In this game the boss has the privilege of always playing and of always making a count. The player holding it, when his turn to play, may play it to the point or side of any domino, into any accute angle or into any inclosed triangle, and taking the numbers of the dominoes in contact with it in either case he adds enough to them to complete a multiple of five and scores accordingly. After the boss has been played any domino may be played to the side of it by succeeding players, but no count may be made with it.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The herein -deseribed domino, made of sheet material, having the notations punched through or indented in the face, and having the projecting triangular margins of the six sided blank bent back and down, as described, to cover the back of the domino, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a domino, the back. formed of the projecting triangular margins of the six-sided blank bent and having their points turned outwardly, as described, so as to form the central pivot, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The herein-described set of triangular dominoes, having the dots upon the edges in each piece disposed and arranged as de scribed, so that the set shall include all the possible dissimilar combinations of blanks and dots, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, for the purposes set forth.

4. The herein-described set of triangular dominoes, having the dots upon the edges in each piece disposed and arranged as described, so that the set shall include all the possible dissimilar combinations of blanks and dots, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, and having a number or figure marked upon each piece representing the sum total of all the dots thereon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

E. S. WVHEELER, J. S. \VHEELER. 

